1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer type image formation apparatus and particularly to an image formation apparatus of such a type that a transfer material is placed in close contact with an image bearing member in an image transferring station wherein the transferring means is disposed opposite to the image bearing member, the transfer material being separated from the image bearing member by the separating means after the image on the image bearing member has been transferred to the transfer material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A generally known construction carrying out a process from the introduction of the transfer material into the image transferring station to the separation of the same is shown in FIG. 1. A transfer material P in the form of a sheet is fed from a supply of sheets (not shown) in the direction shown by reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1. The transfer material P then moves through the nip between register rollers 3 adapted to bring the transfer material into alignment with an image which has been formed on an image bearing member 2. After passed through the nip between the register rollers 3, the transfer material P is guided by upper and lower transfer guides 4-1 and 4-2 to enter, with a proper angle, an image transferring station in which a transfer charger 5 is located opposite to the image bearing member 2. After the image on the image bearing member has been transferred onto the transfer material P by the transfer charger 5 in the region A of the image transferring station, the transfer material P is separated from the image bearing member by separating means such as a separating belt 6, a separating pawl or the like, and then carried to a paper discharge station by separating rollers 7.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 shows an example of the conventional development device which comprises a hopper 22 containing the toner 21 therein, a toner bearing member 23 located within the hopper 22 to rotate in the direction shown by an arrow, and a toner controlling member 24 for applying the toner on the toner bearing member 23 with a predetermined thickness.
The prior art construction has some disadvantages. When a transfer material P having a reduced size is used, it is held only by the separating rollers 7 after the trailing edge of the transfer material has passed the register rollers 3. The transfer material P is therefore subjected to a moment RM as due to a force F1 which is applied to the transfer material P from the separating rollers 7 and another force F2 produced by the friction between the image bearing member 2 and the separating belt 6 when the transfer material P begins to move. As a result, the transfer material P will be turned during transfer as shown in FIG. 2 to distort the transferred image from its proper position L to an undesirable position L'. Even when a transfer material P having an increased size is utilized, it may be subjected to the above undesirable distortion after the trailing edge thereof has passed the register rollers 3.